Mermaid!!! Off the port bow!

Josie (Clark, family friend!)  went to a photo shoot where they dressed up like mermaids...she stopped by to show us the 'look'.

Josie is a sweetheart and we were thrilled she stopped by to visit, it was chaotic as two nephews were over playing and getting ready to head home.

Aren't these two adorable....sometimes they really seem to look like each other.....and they both crack me up!

Too much chaos and fun for Josie she fell asleep for a few minutes on Bubba, her phone rang and scared her half to death!

Last but not least just for you Cody...your parents being there usual silly selves in the middle of the cluttered as always kitchen/living room....is it just me or does Brenton look nervous?

The power is out and snow fun!

These pictures are out of order but...here is Bubba hauling hot water to the animals as the power went out on the electric buckets and the snow had covered them anyway...that is the Kia behind her under the snow drift.

Liam was out helping for hours...and then it was time to play with Bear!

Bear loves chasing snow balls!

Bear would stand on the porch and then jump for the snow balls!

Not a great picture but Jared and Brooklyn showed up in the Rhino outfitted with a snowplow and worked on the road/hill for a bit.

Brooklyn somehow got involved in a brief snow fight...

Not sure if she is tackling or being tackled...

Hugh basking in the snow (his words)

For once Liam seems to have gotten the best of Brooklyn.  Hugh launched that snowball right at Liam seconds after I took the picture.

Caleb got to help Moira with night chores...such a good dog he is, for her!

These pictures are out of order but the poser was out for several hours so Liam and Honey snuggled up wit a book....

Moira remembered that the laptop was charged so she and Hugh settled in to watch "Night at the Museum".

Hugh's snow fort needed to be dug out.

Hugh was grateful that Uncle Brance pushed snow into big drifts for his personal construction use.

Mmmm...handsome!

What a good hubby, he was listening to "car talk" while he shoveled.

Hugh moving more snow to the fort construction site.

More Bear and the boy.

These two truly love each other, when the kids started throwing snowballs at each other I had to put Bear in the house because he takes it personally if anyone hits Liam with a snowball. It was a long day but a good day!

And it snowed and it snowed!

So when we got up this morning it was snowing pretty steadily, by the time we left for church (9am) it was 4WD on the hill and very slow going on the 1/2 mile county road to church.  By the time we left church at noon the 1/2 mile was majorly snow packed and I could not quite tell where the road down the hill ended and the field began! 

We have been having mini avalanches as the heavy wet snow warms up a bit and slides off our metal roof....before it falls these large crusts of snow form cliffs  and Hugh feels it is his duty to bring them down 'safely'.  I looked out once just in time to see him get a face full of snow! 

This is our 'official' avalanche removal outfit.  Angry bird hat and mom's running glasses are necessary!

The broken push broom is his tool of choice.

Brenton and Moira had to make a dairy run (baby goats need their supper!)  And yes they are on the actual road for the most part.  Brenton went on a fire department call and he said he went into the field twice trying to get up the hill quickly.

Caleb is a funny boy, he hates rain or getting wet but seems to really like snow.  He 'pushed' paths all over the yard using his snout and head to dig little walkways.  You can see it just to the edge of the picture below.  He also built himself a little snow cave for a nap.

Our trampoline is buried and the Bear is actually standing on it in this picture.

While Dad and Moira went to the dairy the boys began digging out various pens and sheds.  Hugh dug out 'the girls' water and made them a path to the feeders.

Tinkerbell felt he should take lots of breaks to pet her and so did the others.  By the time this picture was taken we must have had twelve inches on the ground.

Princess is trying to find her water bucket.

The ever helpful Tinkerbell.

So beautiful!

The snow creates work but it sure is amazing!

 

 

A bit of redneck achievement and ingenuity!

That is our Bubba in all her Chapter Degree glory!!  I am thrilled that she got her degree from the BRHS chapter..and her brothers think it is way cool and aspire to join her as FFA members one day.

Bubba getting her degree from Mr. Creer.

So our hill is one slick, icy, curvy stretch of torn up road right now so......

I had the brilliant idea to put my buddy Liam in the back of the truck with a large bag of rock salt (donated by Travis with the pointed request that we put it on the road)....

then we proceeded to drive up the hill (slowly) while My buddy threw rock salt on the road.  It worked great but we broke the cup (using the royal we here) and needed A LOT more salt!  Did I mention it was all of 2 degrees outside when my buddy agreed to do this?  Love that kid!

Hugh took advantage of this week's 'warming' trend, meaning there were no negatives on the thermometer, to work on his snow fort every time they bundled up to go feed the bottle babies.Notice the nice chair for visitors...

Due to a lack of fresh snow, Hugh has diligently shoveled snow from all over the front yard to make the walls of his snow fort. 

We finally made a rule that when you cannot feel your cheeks or they are redder than the siding on the house you have to come in.  This boy loves to build anything.  I will take some pictures of the cat house he and Bubba conjured up from scrap wood and a speeding sign.

Last Summer vacation before the mission!

Ahh family time!

The last weekend of June last summer we ran away to the city for three days/two nights of non scheduled whatever time as a family.  It rocked!

We stayed at the Howard Johnson in downtown SLC, walked everywhere but mostly hung out in the pool and soaked each other in.

Moira is a total fish!  When we lived in Yuma she swam every day she could and twice a day in the summers!

Posing this family is never simple and rarely 'successful'.

Nope still struggling to get them all, not sure what happened to Liam but it looks painful.

We headed over to the City Creek mall for a bit, it is beautifully done.

The boys loved the fish creek that runs all thru the mall.

Back to the pool!  We did get Hugh out long enough to go see "Brave" in 3D...I prefer 2D but it was fun.

Pretty sure Hugh just spit pool water on the Bubba!  Bad idea.

Here is Hugh getting ready to do a few Irish steps in train depot at the Gateway mall, also walked there!